


Dwalin's Yuletide Worries

by BakerStTardis (Sokashi)



Series: Hobbit Advent [6]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies)
Genre: Gen, gen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-07
Updated: 2013-12-07
Packaged: 2018-01-03 21:26:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1073238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sokashi/pseuds/BakerStTardis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dwalin has various problems.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dwalin's Yuletide Worries

**Author's Note:**

> This is part of the Hobbit Advent. Day Six's prompt was bells and this immediately sprang to mind only it blew up into a huge piece. I'm also snowed out of my home so I can't post as normal nor edit as well. It may be messy, sorry, and a bit rushed but It didn't want to be written and it got out of hand and well, here it is. Hopefully its not too much of a mess.

"Brooding, brother?" Balin asked sitting heavily across from Dwalin in the food hall. 

Dwalin grunted and sipped from his mug. "You know I leave that to Thorin." 

"Aye." Balin half sighed. "And he's doing enough of that for all of us right now." 

Dwalin grunted again. "Do you know what's got him in such a snit? I don't understand it. He endured the Durin's Day celebrations and the anniversary of the Battle of Five Armies without getting this moody. What is it about Yuletide that's got him so upset?"

Balin looked reluctant and waved one of the other dwarves over for a pint. "I'm afraid its our burglar." He said heavily and met Dwalin's gaze levelly when he looked at him in surprise. "He misses Bilbo. There's been enough time now for him to think about what happened. To regret. To truly regret."

Dwalin scowled and set down the silver bell he'd been fiddling with to gulp his ale. He hadn't thought of that. "You'd think he has enough on his mind to keep him busy without brooding over a hobbit." He groused. 

His brother made a noncommittal noise and picked up the bell. "What's this?"

Torn from his thoughts, Dwalin looked at it and shrugged. "Was there with my ale. I figured it was part of the Yuletide decorations. You didn't get one?"

Balin looked at him fondly. "No. Do you see anyone else sitting with a bell?" Dwalin frowned and looked around at the mostly empty tables, then shook his head dismissively.

"So should we do something about Thorin?"

Balin was staring at the bell, still looking amused. "Maybe he'll work it out of his system."

Sighing, Dwalin drained his mug and stood. Great. Like he didn't have enough work trying to make a guard out of the youngsters and old men who'd returned to the mountain. Now he needed to manage his king's moods as well.

 

Thorin was in his office, a mostly bare room down the hall from counsels rooms and other various meeting places. It was small and out of the way, easily defensible but not easy to get to. After all, a king shouldn't be easily accessible to anyone but his closest men. Thorin was behind the desk, a huge blackened thing that had managed to mostly survive the dragon. It was covered in paperwork and maps some of which had fallen to the floor. Dwalin leaned in the doorway and waited for Thorin to look up, dark brows raised half mockingly at his friend. "When you have a moment, my liege," Dwalin drawled. "I think its time you got off your lazy arse."

It almost, ALMOST made Thorin smile. He glanced at his paperwork and Dwalin thought for a minute that he was going to have to insist, but then a messenger appeared beside him looking a little out of breath and anxious. "Lord Hrur-" the messenger started but Thorin cut him off, standing abruptly.

"Hrur can wait. The king is busy." The dwarf stood there, obviously wanting to protest but unable to as Thorin strode from the room. Dwalin smirked and followed.

Thorin was silent all the way to the training rooms and it was obvious he was thinking hard. Dwalin wondered if it was about Bilbo or just the running of the mountain but didn't bother to ask. He wasn't a king, wasn't even political. What he could do, was kick Thorin's ass and give his friend a way to vent that was safer than yelling at counsel members. 

 

The training rooms were large and open, plenty of space for fighting and training when the weather was bad outside. There were benches along the walls and racks of armor and weapons. Dwalin let Thorin choose and wasn't surprised when he simply stripped down to pants and boots and entered the fighting circle. The other dwarves started to circle close, eager to watch two of their best fighters but Dwalin glared then back, not willing to subject Thorin to them today. By the time he looked back, Thorin was coming at him, his face dark and fierce as he tackled Dwalin around the middle.

The fight was brutal and viscous, the kind that they hadn't had since Thorin's injuries healed from the battle the year before. Thorin hit with thunderous roars and took them with merely a shake of his head. Dwalin let Thorin pound on him for a bit until Thorin realized and punched him impatiently, shoving him away. "Come on!" He roared, shaking his hair back and egging Dwalin on. Dwalin laughed a little, taunting, as he straightened. 

"Just making sure you still know your stuff." 

Thorin snarled and swung at him impatiently. It clipped Dwalin on the cheek, but he caught his friend around the waist and threw him into the nearby wall. Some of the nearby dwarves winced, but Thorin rose with a roar and charged him. Dwalin smiled and met him halfway and they crashed together with an impact that echoed through the room, louder than all the other fights going on. Then they were wrestling, snarls and grunts and the sound of flesh hitting stone. Dwalin managed to get to his feet but before he could recover Thorin hooked them out from under him. Unfortunately he didn't mange to roll away in time and Dwalin landed on him with a heavy thud that drove his breath from him.

Neither of them moved for a long minute and Dwalin was busy convincing himself that the crack he heard had been his head hitting the stone and not his back breaking as he fought with his king. "I think-" Thorin gasped a little from beneath him. "that's enough for now." He shifted and shoved Dwalin off of him all at once. Dwalin grunted in surprise then concluded if nothing was screaming at him he must've survived. He sat up stiffly and dropped his arms over his knees as he looked down at Thorin. "So what's had you in such a snit?"

Thorin ignored him, didn't even look at him, as he rolled to his feet and headed for his clothes on the benches. Dwalin rolled his eyes and followed, unwilling to let it go. "Thorin-" he growled and when Thorin cut his eyes at him, met his friend glare for glare. The moment stretched then Thorin grunted and wiped a towel over his face. 

"It's nothing. Just a bad day."

Dwalin made a disbelieving noise and watched him out of the corner of his eye. "It'd have to be a string of bad days, lad. You're grumpier every day and that's really saying something for you." 

Thorin didn't respond, just shrugged his shirt back on, sweat and all, and hefted the rest of his things to leave. Dwalin caught his arm before he could and stared back evenly at Thorin's challenging glare. "You can beat on me every day if you need to, Thorin, but it won't help whatever's bothering you." It was the only thing Dwalin could think of to say. He didn't know if Balin was right about Bilbo or if it was just the politics Thorin was having to deal with or if it was something else. It was useless when Thorin simply looked at him, kingly and hard and cold. 

"Nothing is bothering me."

Dwalin let him go, hands open in surrender and hoped his face showed the worry he felt as Thorin stormed away. Once he was out of sight Dwalin sighed and reached for his own towel then froze when he spotted a little silver bell sitting on it. "What kind of stupid joke-" he glanced around suspiciously but there was no one he'd immediately suspect. Growling, he stuffed it in his pocket to get on with his day.

 

Dwalin woke the next morning a little sore from the fight the day before. He made a mental note to train himself a bit harder even as he rolled over in bed, hoping to get a little more rest. A faint chiming stopped that. Dwalin froze, certain, absolutely certain he'd imagined the sound because he'd thrown the bell from the day before into a draw in Balin's office. There was no reason he should be hearing bells chiming now. Sitting up, he dug through the blankets and glared at the little bells he found in them. Tiny silver ones, just like from the day before. It was delicate work, not even as big as the end of one of his fingers. Expensive then. Who would waste expensive silver bells as some sort of lame joke on him and not even be there to see him find them?

The concern kept Dwalin busy through getting ready for the day until the answer hit him as he headed to the food hall and ran across Fili and Kili rounding a corner, heads close together as they whispered. Scowling, Dwalin stormed over but before he could lash out they looked up at him and grinned. "Dwalin, excellent! we were coming to find you. we're surprising uncle with breakfast! He stayed up too late working last night." Kili said and slapped him on the back. "Come join us. He needs cheering up. We invited the others, too."

Fili leaned closer to Dwalin. "I think Bombour's been up all morning getting ready. He seemed really excited when we talked to him."

Dwalin eyed the brothers suspiciously but followed. They didn't look like they were in the middle of pranking him. They also were looking out for Thorin which would make Dwalin forgive them many things. He followed them up to the royal suites where there was a dining room already laid out full of breakfast foods. A cheer went up at their entrance and minutes were lost in hugs and welcomes. The running of Erebor kept the company apart more than they liked and sometimes weeks went by without all of them getting together. The last occurrence had also been at the anniversary of the battle of five armies- not exactly a jovial time for any of them.

Thorin came in, sleepy eyed and looking as if he wanted to be grumpy, but couldn't under everyone else's cheer. The room was loud and food was thrown back and forth across the table. Dwalin sat beside Thorin and he was just starting to relax when Fili and Kili thumped down into the chairs across from him. For a split second Dwalin saw that familiar look they shared, the one that meant they were up to something someone would regret, but before he could stop them they dropped a plate of scones in front of Thorin. "Here you are, Uncle!" Thorin lifted a brow and reached for one, his hand closing around it as Kili spoke. "They're the recipe Bilbo gave us before he left!" The room went sort of still and quiet as Thorin's face darkened. His hand crushed the scone and he didn't move for a long moment before he stood abruptly and strode out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him.

"Well that was subtle, lads." Someone remarked.

"What did you think you were doing?" Dwalin thundered, getting to his feet. Fili and Kili looked at him in surprise. "Your Uncle has enough on his plate without you two making things worse."

"We're helping." Fili said, his gaze a touch challenging. "He won't talk to any of us. He's making everyone miserable, including himself. He needs to figure out what he wants to do before he ruins things completely!"

"He's the King!" Dwalin yelled back. "He's got an entire kingdom on his shoulders now. He doesn't need your meddling nor your stupid pranks!" They looked confused for a second, sharing those speaking looks but Dwalin had no patience for them and stormed out after his friend. 

Thorin wasn't anywhere to be seen, but Dwalin wasn't surprised by that. He knew where his friend would go. He paused to grab his axes and hurried through the mountain, knowing no one would have stopped Thorin like they tried to him along the way. What seemed like an eternity later, but must've only been minutes, Dwalin found Thorin standing in the empty throne room. It was half dark, the stone cold, the throne empty. The spot above it that had held that arkenstone was a hollow hole. They'd never decided how best to appropriately fill the spot. Even Dwalin had to admit it made the throne look a little incomplete. Thorin stood in front of it, staring, arms crossed in front of his chest. He didn't move or look up when Dwalin entered and Dwalin shut the throne room doors firmly behind him. 

"Ignore them, Thorin. They're still boys." He said gruffly, a little uncomfortable now that he'd reached his goal.

Thorin still didn't move. Just breathed as he stared ahead. Dwalin shifted on his feet, trying to think of what else could be said but then Thorin sighed. "They're not the problem, Dwalin. I am." His jaw flexed and he looked around the room almost as if he was a little lost. "We got Erebor back. I have my kingdom. We're rebuilding and more dwarves return every day." He looked at Dwalin and his eyes burned. "I HATE IT." Dwalin stepped back, surprised, floundering for any type of response, but Thorin didn't give him a chance to find one. "I look around and I just see us rebuilding. Making the same mistakes my grandfather made, listening to the same counsel, having the same arguments."

Dwalin frowned. "You're king. You've made peace with the elves and men, Thorin. You're not making the same  
mistakes-" this was Balin's territory, not Dwalin's. Where was his brother when they needed him? Still eating with mischief makers and miners? 

"If I haven't, its only because I haven't gotten to them, yet." Thorin responded, not even raising his voice to argue.

"No." Dwalin insisted." You beat the gold sickness-" 

"That's one thing, Dwalin. One."

"And so was the decision to take back Erebor!" Dwalin yelled, frustrated. Thorin just shook his head and looked away. Dwalin wanted to punch him. Shake him. Shove him into the wall again. "What do you want, then? To go back to the Blue Mountains and live off Dain? To go back to smithing and watching your people scrape through life for another hundred years until you feel up to this?"

Thorin gave him a withering look. "Don't be stupid, Dwalin, that's not what I'm saying-" 

"Then what are you saying?" Dwalin yelled. "What exactly are we arguing about?"

Thorin looked at him then snorted suddenly. "You know you're the one yelling, not me. I'm not even angry. Just... Frustrated. Things should be different this time."

"Then change them." Dwalin said grumpily, annoyed that he was so worked up when Thorin wasn't. Maybe this was it then. Thorin was just frustrated. It didn't have anything to do with Yuletide or hobbits at all. His brain pointed out that it had been the mention of Bilbo that had driven him from the room, but Dwalin dismissed it. 

"Change them." Thorin echoed thoughtfully.

Dwalin grunted. "Or don't." He added a little wary of the look on Thorin's face. 

The look cleared and Thorin focused on him. "Don't look so worried, Dwalin. I... Think I know what I need to do now."

"Good?" Dwalin stated, still wary. Thorin gave him s tight smile and thumped him on the back.

"I have a counsel meeting to get to. Coming?" Dwalin grunted an assent and followed him. They took two steps before Dwalin heard it and mentally cursed, hoping it was his imagination. Two more steps had Thorin glancing at him in curiousity. "What is that?"

"What?" 

"The-chiming." Thorin said and stopped to look at him. Dwalin tried to think of how to respond. Pretend not to hear it? Act like he knew what was going on? Then Thorin circled him and laughed. "What's this? Are you decorating for Yule?" He teased before there was a tug from somewhere along Dwalin's back and Thorin reappeared with two little silver bells in his palm.

Dwalin scowled. How? Why? "Don't ask me, Thorin." He said finally. "But I'm going to find out."

Thorin hummed a response and tossed the bells to him distractedly. "Then I'll see you later."

 

Dwalin intended to figure out who was behind the bells. It was obvious, he was certain, he had just been too distracted to pay attention to it. But the guard immediatly needed his attention and then a couple of orcs had been spotted on the road between Erebor and Dale. The guards on assignment took care of them but it meant going over protocols and warning Dale and just general precautions being taken. In fact, he was on his way to look at the bodies and make sure they were nothing more than stray orcs from the mountains, when a messenger yelled his name and pushed through the crowd to reach him. "Dwalin. Your brother sent me." He panted out. Murmurs were filling the halls. Whatever news the dwarf was bringing him had already been spread over the mountain. "They're all in the Counsel Room, but Thorin- he dismissed all the Counsel members. For good."

"What?" Dwalin growled and cursed, shoving away to run up to the Counsel Chambers. He should've known Thorin would do something completely ridiculous. He was as good at subtle as his nephews were and just as spontaneously foolish sometimes. 

Fili and Kili were outside the chamber doors, looking only mildly anxious and more than a little amused. The looks didn't faulter under Dwalin's glare. In fact, Fili shrugged and straightened as if he knew whatever reprimand Dwalin wanted to give. "You can't blame us for this one, Dwalin. We haven't seen him since this morning."

Kili raised a cocky eyebrow. "I wonder where he got the idea?"

"Not from me." Dwalin growled and shoved past them to go inside.

Only Thorin and Balin were in the room. Thorin had his kingly stubborn face on while Balin looked frustrated and maybe a little resigned behind him. "So please tell me I heard incorrectly and you didn't just do something so stupid." He said and shut the doors in the princes' faces. Balin gave him a long look that said he was doing things the wrong way but Dwalin ignored it. Thorin gave him a mild look.

"I'm changing things, Dwalin. The Counsel wasn't listening. Now they'll have to or they can be replaced."

Balin rolled his eyes and Dwalin resisted the urge to laugh. "I don't think that's how it works. You're a king, Thorin, not a dictator."

Thorin rolled his shoulders and looked thoughtful and not really concerned. "They just needed to know I'm serious." He said. "And I do want some new Counselors. These were my father's men. Some were my grandfather's."

"And they were yours in the Blue Mountains, Thorin." Balin warned.

"Not all." Thorin replied. "Some haven't supported me at all."

"The point of a counsel isn't to just agree with a king-"

"Are you going to school me now, Balin?" Thorin asked. "I'm not saying I want them to agree. I just want them to listen. This may have been drastic, but it was needed." He took a deep breath. "If it makes either of you feel any better I plan on calling them in tomorrow. Changes need to be made, but I can be reasonable."

Again, Balin rolled his eyes and looked a little uncomfortable but he also shrugged as if to say what else could they do? "Very well, Thorin." He said and headed for the door. "I'll go and try to keep the panic to a minimum."

They both waited until Balin had left the room before Thorin looked at him and gestured. "Go on. What else have you got to say?"

"Nothing. You're king." Dwalin stated with a shrug and moved through the room to see if there was anything left to drink on the sideboard. "I just wonder where this sudden desire for change has come from."

"It's not sudden." Thorin stated, flopping back in his chair wearily. "We discussed it this morning." Dwalin gave him a look and Thorin sighed a bit, looking grumpy again. "I want Erebor to be a place to be proud of. A place anyone could visit and look favorably on and its not yet." He gave Dwalin a challenging look even as Dwalin had a sinking feeling in his chest.

"Anyone?" He challenged. "Or a certain hobbit?" 

Thorin stilled and looked up at him, eyes dark with warning. "Anyone." He insisted.

"Really? Because I'm starting to think you fired the counsel because you think it's something Bilbo would approve of. Starting over with a new counsel. New ideals." Dwalin was warming to his subject now, all the little worries he'd been ignoring coming to the fore. "Hobbit ideals are not dwarvish ones, Thorin. You can't run a kingdom based on what you hope a hobbit's opinion would be."

Thorin stood, furious. "Just what are you implying?" 

"Just that you're being stupid over past mistakes." Dwalin challenged. "Making foolish changes will not make him come back and you don't need him here."

Thorin frowned. "I thought you liked Bilbo."

"Oh, aye. He saved our arses enough times you'd have to, but he still belongs in the Shire, Thorin. Not in Erebor's halls nor in our politics. We've ruffled enough of his life, Thorin. He doesn't need us anymore."

Thorin's face was unreadable. "Maybe not." He said, his voice harsh. "But it doesn't mean we don't need him."

Dwalin scowled, fuming. "This is a mistake, Thorin."

"You don't even know what I'm thinking of doing." Thorin challenged.

Dwalin growled, wanting to hit him but knowing it would do no good. "I know its probably stupid." He spat. 

Thorin straightened, insulted and angry. "You're dismissed."

Snorting, Dwalin turned away. "It's my pleasure." He mocked as he stormed from the room.

Fili and Kili looked startled by his exit, their accusing eyes telling him they'd overheard it all. Fine. Screw them and screw Thorin. He was done with Durins for the day.

 

Dwalin wasn't even surprised by the bells when he woke up the next morning. Th sheer number of them was a little startling. As was the fact they'd been carefully sewn along the leather bits of of his knuckle dusters. It took more time than he liked to clip the ringing, chiming little things off and stuff them in a old sock to muffled their noise. By the time he was done his already bad mood had soured significantly. "If I figure out who is doing this-" he exited his rooms and was immediately met by the sound of bells ringing at the pace of a fast walk. "There you are...." He growled and took off running after the sound, chasing the noise through echoing halls and past dozens of dwarves. The ringing grew louder as he rounded a corner then skidded to a stop outside the food hall where a half dozen dwarves were carrying giant gold bells, each the size of a dwarf's head. Dwalin skidded to a stop, fuming at the wrong bells and grumbled to himself the entire time he grabbed some breakfast and watched the bells get hung around the hall, preparation for the Yuletide festivities.

He checked on the guards, especially Thorin's, but they reported nothing and Dwalin wasn't in the mood to face Thorin himself. Not after the fight the night before. Bilbo was their friend, yes, but he'd made his choice and it wasn't theirs to change it. The hobbit deserved his quiet life and if Dwalin was the only one willing to protect that choice then so be it. 

On his way to the training grounds, thoughts on the half a dozen little things that needed done instead of guarding his king, Dwalin heard bells again. He changed directions, leapt down a couple of staircases and shoved a fewof slow miners out of the way only to skid to a stop in front of Fili and Kili who yes, had bells in their hands, but these were brass, about the size of a fist and strung to pieces of leather. "Mister Dwalin." Kili greeted reservedly, his eyes curious.

Feeling a fool, Dwalin straightened. "You've got...bells."

Fili's brow rose. "Yes. For the ponies. Bard has asked Uncle to make an appearance at their winter festival so we were prettying things up for him."

"Right." Dwalin said and took a step back.

The two boys shared a look then Kili's face softened. "Don't worry, Dwalin. You know Uncle. He won't stay mad long. Even if you are wrong." He patted the big dwarf companionably on the shoulder and walked away before Dwalinn could do more than scowl let alone protest that he certainly wasn't upset about Thorin. Or that he wasn't wrong.

The rest of the day passed much the same. He was distracted and moody and thought he heard bells around every corner. He found no more in his belongings, though, which made him relax just enough to think whatever game was being played on him was over. That's when he heard a very familiar sound. A light chiming, clear and sharp echoing down the hall. Dwalin's first instinct was to ignore it this time- he'd made a fool of himself enough time that day- but the sound persisted and Dwalin couldn't resist. He followed it, down halls and around corners until he found himself at the library where one of the doors was just swinging shut. Grinning victoriously, Dwalin pushed inside just in time to startle one of the scribes setting his things on a table. Books clattered and bells chimed as Ori looked up at him and blushed a little. "Oh, Dwalin! You scared me. What are you doing running into the library like that?" He half chided and bent over to pick his things up. More bells chimed and Dwalin spotted them. There, decorating the edge of some new knitted thing around the smaller dwarf's next were tiny silver bells just like the ones he'd been plagued with.

"It's you?" Dwalin asked, not believing it. "YOU'RE behind these stupid bells?" he bellowed. "what are you THINKING?" He demanded because it didn't make sense. Ori was quiet and sweet and frankly didnt have the skill to sneak around Dwalin like that and not get caught. Ori was cowering a little, confused, and no. Dwalin wasn't even certain he knew where the training grounds were even if he could've sneaked in without being seen. Now, Nori- "NORI." Dwalin growled, furious at how obvious it was and how stupid he could be. 

Ori straightened at his brother's name, chin lifting a little. "Nori what?" He challenged.

Dwalin scowled at him and didn't apologise for yelling or tossing the sock of bells at the young dwarf. "Tell your brother the jokes over." He snapped, furious."I don't have time for his games. Surely there's something more important he could be doing." Dwalin turned to go when the bag of bells hit him in the back. He spun around in shock and found a red faced Ori glaring up at him, obviously having just thrown them.

"Tell him yourself if its so important!" He snapped.

Dwalin growled, but found there wasn't much else he could do. Ori really didn't deserve his wrath and he'd only feel guilty if he said anymore. The rest of the day, though, was bell free. By the time evening meal came Dwalin was in a good enough mood that he didn't avoid Thorin when the king met him in the hall. Rumor had told Dwalin that Thorin's plan, as clumsy as it was, had worked for the moment and Dwalin had already spoken his mind. "Join me." Thorin offered.

Nodding, Dwalin followed his friend to his rooms where dinner was already laid out and pitchers of ale were waiting. There were definite advantages to being close to the king. The drank together and Dwalin didn't mention the bells and Thorin didn't mention Bilbo and as far as apologies went, that's all either of them needed. Dwalin went to bed that night feeling a little more confident about things than the last couple of days which really should've worried him more, not less.

 

There were bells. In his beard. Bells. Half a dozen little silver ones tied expertly to the ends of his beard and mustache and his clumsy useless fingers could not get them out. He stared into the mirror, still dressed in nothing but loose pants from the night before and eyed the knife in his hands. He could cut them out and no one would know. No one but him and Nori. But cutting a beard was serious business. He stared a little longer. The bells chimed. His other option, of course, was to hunt the dwarf down. Then Dwalin could use the knife on him. Now that thought made him smile. No one would fault him too much for it, surely. Well, Ori would, but what was one dwarf against the desire to just gut Nori a little?

Dwalin didn't wait to get dressed. He shoved feet into boots and grabbed an axe for leverage. He had a Ri brother to catch.

 

The fight was heard all over the mountain. Literally. The chiming of bells, the cursing. The swinging of weapons and bodies hitting stone. Nori was quick and fast and clever but Dwalin was big and furious and had the guards on his side. Eventually Dwalin caught him by the throat and shoved the pointy haired dwarf into the wall. They were in the hall of the royal suites where the guards were studiously looking away. Someone might've run for Thorin, but Dwalin didn't care. "You're dead for this." He growled into Nori's face. Bells chimed with every word, making him more furious every second.

Nori's eyes narrowed. "Maybe you should think before you go yelling at innocent dwarves, captain." He taunted. 

Dwalin would concede that point if he wasn't so angry. "YOU'RE the one that started this!" 

"And YOU'RE no fun!" Nori yelled back. 

Dwalin growled and drew back, ready to punch him in that smirking, self satisfied mouth, when a voice stopped him.

"Dwalin, enough." Thorin said in surprising calm. 

Dwalin responded out of habit more than desire, but didn't let go of Nori. "Thorin," he started but his friend was already looking at him, eyes lit with amusement he was trying hard not to show. Ori wasn't doing so well and had one mittened hand covering giggles. 

"Yes. I see. Well, Ori will help you get those out. I, unfortunately, need Nori whole. I have a little job for him."

Dwalin let go of Nori reluctantly and glared at the dwarf as if a look could do all he wished his fists could. "What kind of trip?"

"A nice long one, Dwalin. Don't you worry." Thorin said. Nori looked more intrigued than worried, but Thorin had the other dwarf by the arm and was leading him away. When Dwalin didn't move Thorin looked back, a little amused. "Dwalin, your beard? I'm not sure there's anyone in the mountain who hasn't seen it by now, but I think you're going to need Ori's help to set it to rights again." They turned away and Dwalin started to as well, but Nori looked over his shoulder and gave a little wave that made Dwalin growl and start forward again.

This time a hand on his arm stopped him. Ori looked amused, but over his giggles and gave Dwalin a kind look. "Come on, Dwalin. When I heard what Nori did I brought anything we could need to fix it." Dwalin followed, feeling like a child all of a sudden and a bit foolish. He grumbled but let Ori push him into a chair. The scribe's fingers were gentle when he started untangling the mass of bells and hair. Dwalin sighed.

"I am sorry I yelled at you." He admitted. Ori smiled a little but didnt look away from his work. 

"I know."

**Author's Note:**

> And yes, everything was written around Nori taunting Dwalin and ending with that scene. Don't ask me where it came from or why it needed so much plot.


End file.
